


Like The Stars in the Night

by SlytherclawHomunculus



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Also Zuko gives impromtu therapy, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chaos Avatar Zuko, Chaos Avatar Zuko AU, Gen, Lets give Vaatu some hidden depths, Mostly comedy but a little angst slipped in whoops, Vaatu Avatar Zuko, Zuko is always a good boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22428928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherclawHomunculus/pseuds/SlytherclawHomunculus
Summary: Sometimes the best way to help yourself is to help someone else.Zuko has a nightmare and ends up giving Vaatu an impromptu therapy session.
Relationships: Vaatu & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 732
Collections: Good_or_Decent_Zuko_With_a_dash_of_Iroh_Azula_Gaang, avatar tingz





	Like The Stars in the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts).



> MuffinLance, I love you, but I also blame you for this.
> 
> You've infected me with ChaosAvatar!Zuko and now I gotta write for this AU. :'DD
> 
> DARN YOU AND YOUR CREATIVE GENIUS!!

Zuko drifted alone in an endless abyss. The pitch pulled and nipped at him from every which way. He frantically looked around, for something, _anything_ to ground his senses. But there was nothing. Only the endless dark which was indistinguishable from itself. His limbs flailed, scrambling for purchase, but there was no solid matter to be found. Suddenly something grabbed his arms. A scream tore itself from his throat as the boy catapulted upwards. His burning, golden eye now wide open. He wrapped his arms around himself, a white knuckle grip on his upper arms as he tried to fight the shaking and further screams from alerting anyone to his location.

“LARVA.” Vaatu started. Zuko wanted to argue about the pet name, but didn’t have the energy to bite back. “I SENSED YOU WERE IN DISTRESS. WHAT IS THE MATTER?”

“I had a nightmare.” Zuko said much quieter than he had intended. He sensed Vaatu urging him to go on, to elaborate. Zuko stumbled a bit before continuing. “I was surrounded by this endless abyss. Just, darkness everywhere and nothing else.”

“IS THAT ALL?”

“Uh, yeah… that’s it.”

“THAT DOESN’T SEEM ALL THAT BAD TO ME.”

“ _What_?!” Zuko hissed. “Are you _kidding_ me?! That was _terrifying_! How would _you_ like it if you were trapped in an endless…” Zuko became very quiet as he realized that the _embodiment of darkness_ might not be bothered by, well, the dark. The boy absently wondered what kinds of things _did_ scare Vaatu. Certainly he must have had fears. He had independent thought, and seemed to experience emotions, if his outbursts were anything to go by. But what, if anything, did Vaatu fear?

“LARVA, YOU CANNOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE INTIMIDATED BY SUCH THINGS. DARKNESS IS ONLY DARKNESS. I WOULD _NEVER_ HARM YOU.” Vaatu said, is some poor attempt at being comforting. Zuko only felt annoyed, if he wanted his fears invalidated, he would have stayed home.

“That’s easy for you to say. Mr. Eternal Spirit of Darkness.” Zuko grumbled. “You’re not human, you just don’t get it.”

“HMPH. I DIDN’T COMPLAIN NEARLY THIS MUCH ABOUT BEING IMPRISONED IN THE TREE OF TIME…” Vaatu mumbled… somehow.

“ _Are you kidding me?!_ ” Zuko blew up. “Half of everything you say to me is you _bellyaching_ about being ‘IMPRISONED FOR TEN THOUSAND YEARS’!”

“DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG TEN THOUSAND YEARS IS? IT IS MANY, _MANY_ OF YOUR INCONSEQUENTIAL HUMAN LIFETIMES STRUNG TOGETHER.” Vaatu said, he was ranting now and Zuko just knew he wasn’t going to get any rest that night. Zuko sighed. “IT’S ALL THANKS TO RAAVA AND THAT WRETCHED HUMAN OF HERS. SHE’S SO _INFURIATING_ , I SWEAR-”

“I’m sorry your girlfriend left you.” Zuko said tiredly.

“SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!” Vaatu shrieked. Zuko winced as he felt his energies spike, then he smirked.

A pause.

“I’m sorry your _wife_ left you.”

“WE SPIRITS ARE NOT LIKE YOU HUMANS. WE DO NOT FEEL THE NEED TO PARTNER AND BREED.” A pause. “AND EVEN IF I WAS CAPABLE OF SUCH FEELINGS, RAAVA IS THE LAST BEING I WOULD EVER PARTNER WITH. I WOULD SOONER BE PULLED APART AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR EONS MORE THAN JOIN FORCES WITH _HER_.”

“You must really hate her.” Zuko said, gazing emptily into the distance, unable to rest due to Vaatu’s ranting. Suddenly he got an idea, go all Uncle on Vaatu. Maybe that’ll get him to shut the hell up.

“I DON’T _JUST_ HATE HER. I _DESPISE_ HER. I _LOATHE_ HER, AND EVERYTHING SHE REPRESENTS. I FEEL NOTHING BUT _CONTEMPT_ FOR HER.”

“Why?” Zuko asked.

“ _WHY_?” Vaatu echoed, sounding confused.

“Yeah, why do you hate this ‘Raava’ so much? Certainly there must be a reason.” Vaatu was quiet. Zuko could almost feel him squirm a bit.

_Strange._

“Take your time, and don’t worry.” Zuko said gently. “This is a judgment free zone.”

“WELL, SHE’S TORMENTED ME FOR EONS.” Vaatu said, sounding surprisingly calm. Introspective, even. “SHE’S CONSTANTLY BEATEN ME INTO NOTHING. I FEEL LIKE I CAN NEVER SEEM TO WIN AGAINST HER.”

Zuko couldn’t help but think of his own struggles against his sister. He thought about what Uncle might say in this situation.

”Ahh, yes. It can be hard to deal with a difficult sibling.” The boy offered, doing his best to emulate his uncle.

“SHE IS NOT MY SIBLING.” Vaatu said flatly. “WE ARE ETERNAL RIVALS. OPPOSING FORCES. WE BARE NO ACTUAL RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER.”

Zuko shrugged and rolled over, thinking of another tactic.

“Okay, let’s try something else then.” Zuko suggested, rubbing a nonexistant beard. “Let’s not focus on Raava, shall we? What do _you_ like? What are _your_ goals?”

“ELIMINATE LIGHT FROM THIS WORLD AND BRING ABOUT AN ETERNITY OF DARKNESS.” A pause. “MAYBE EVEN DESTROY THE UNIVERSE WHILE I’M AT IT.”

Zuko’s half lidded eye shot right open, he wheezed. He felt Vaatu shifting within him, possibly sensing his distress.

“LARVA? WHAT IS WRONG? ARE YOU WELL?”

Zuko coughed a bit, regaining his composure.

“ _Not a larva_ …” He mumbled. Nothing’s wrong, he just heard confirmation that the spirit within him wants to destroy the world is all. “I’m fine. You seem like a very angry individual. Perhaps you should pick up a more constructive hobby, like knitting.”

“ _KNITTING_?”

“Yeah. It’s a much more constructive use of your time and energy and a better outlet for your anger.”

“YOU THINK THAT I, _THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OF DARKNESS_ , SHOULD PICK UP A HUMAN HOBBY LIKE _KNITTING_?”

“Yeah.”

Zuko wasn’t able to identify the emotion radiating from Vaatu. Was it amusement? Annoyance? Utter bewilderment? He didn’t know.

An awkward pause.

“Have you ever even tried to get along with Raava?” As much as Zuko hated to go there, he had to admit that there were times when he and Azula did actually try to get along with one another. Or at least he tried to, he can’t speak for her.

He doesn’t even know half the stuff that goes on in her head.

Does she really hate him, or is it just a ploy?

He didn’t know.

He wasn’t sure he even _wanted_ to know at this point.

“NO.” Vaatu’s voice surprised Zuko, pulling him from his reverie. “ME AND RAAVA HAVE ALWAYS OPPOSED ONE ANOTHER. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN AMIABLE.” Vaatu paused, thoughtful. “IT IS OUR DESTINIES. JUST AS THE DAY OPPOSES THE NIGHT. SO SHALL THE DARK OPPOSE THE LIGHT.”

Zuko rolled over onto his back and gazed deep into the endless night sky.

“Maybe not.” The boy tried. The spirit within him stirred.

“WHAT? DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ME? WE ARE DARK AND LIGHT, OPPOSITES. WE CANNOT COEXIST.”

“Well, Vaatu, consider the night sky. What do you see?”

“ENDLESS DARKNESS. AN ABYSS EVER EXPANDING.”

“Well, that’s one part of it.” Zuko admitted. “But look closer, see all the little specs and smears of light?” Zuko gestured loosely with one of his arms. “Light that exists among the darkness. The darkness of the night does not cancel out the stars, in the same way that the light of the stars does not cancel out the dark of the night. They exist in harmony. In balance.” Zuko rested his arms over his chest and gazed deep into the night. “Dark cannot exist without light and the opposite is also true… So why not just coexist? And even with the day and the night, it’s always day somewhere, just like it’s always night somewhere… And then there’s also twilight…” Zuko paused as he realized Vaatu had gone utterly quiet.

Finally.

Zuko turned over and laid on his side, his mind finally peaceful enough for him to rest. Suddenly he felt a gentle coiling around his soul.

“Mmmm?” He mumbled, already drifting off.

“DO YOU REALLY THINK…” Vaatu was uncharacteristically quiet. “DO YOU _TRULY_ AND _SINCERELY_ BELIEVE THAT RAAVA AND I COULD COEXIST? THAT THERE COULD BE A WORLD WHERE _NEITHER_ OF US HAVE TO FIGHT…” He paused. “WHERE NO ONE HAS TO LOOSE?”

“Don’ see why not…” Zuko mumbled as he faded out of consciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda just went along with my own interpretation of this AU. I hope that's okay. xD Again, credit for the idea goes to MuffinLance.
> 
> I have a tumblr, where I post things: https://carnistcervine.tumblr.com/


End file.
